Consciousness

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LAST REVIEWED: 08 October 2015

LAST MODIFIED: 10 May 2010

DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780195396577-0025

Introduction

The psychological phenomenon that many regard as the most perplexing is consciousness, or, very roughly defined, the property of certain mental states—paradigmatically, sensations and perceptual experiences—in virtue of which (as Thomas Nagel influentially put it) there is “something it is like” to have them. These phenomenal qualities seem especially difficult to reconcile with physicalist metaphysics; at least prima facie, it is hard to believe that phenomenal properties are physical, or that science will ever explain what it is like to have a sensation or perceptual experience. This metaphysical problem is a traditional one, and it arises repeatedly, in different ways, in the entry titled “Metaphysics of Mind.” Recently, various forms of this objection to physicalism have been taxonomized more carefully than before, and three of these are explored in Anti-Physicalist Arguments. A reply to these worries that has been particularly conspicuous recently in the work of several leading physicalists is considered in Phenomenal Concepts. Although the question of reconciliation with physicalism is important, it is not the only issue here of interest to philosophers, and general theories of consciousness have been developed that attempt to go beyond it. In Representational Theories, Higher-Order Thought Theories, and Contemporary Dualism and Neo-Russellian Views, four examples of such general theories are considered.

General Overviews

As with other areas of the philosophy of mind, a great many resources exist to guide and to assist philosophical research into consciousness. Presented in this section are the eight that seem most useful. Güzeldere 1997 and Van Gulick 2009 are excellent article-length introductions, and each includes very useful suggestions for further reading. Bayne, et al. 2009, McLaughlin, et al. 2009, and Velmans and Schneider 2007 are three anthologies of specially commissioned entries. The first of these is, in effect, an encyclopedia of relevant terms and concepts, while the other two collect longer survey articles. McLaughlin, et al. 2009 is on the philosophy of mind generally, but a large section covers the philosophy of consciousness. Velmans and Schneider 2007 is entirely devoted to consciousness but covers scientific topics as well as philosophical ones. PhilPapers: Philosophy of Mind; Philosophy of Consciousness, edited by David Chalmers, and EpistemeLinks: Philosophy of Mind,edited by Thomas Stone, are useful online resources; the former is a huge register of academic papers available online on the philosophy of consciousness, while the latter is a heterogeneous directory of online resources on the philosophy of mind—many of which involve consciousness. Chalmers 2002 is merely an article and much less extensive than a book, but it is an excellent introduction to the issues.

Probably the best article-length introduction to the philosophical issues about consciousness, for two reasons. First, the structured taxonomy of theories and arguments Chalmers presents is widely accepted among leading researchers; second, he gives more attention to unorthodox anti-materialist views than most.

This resource, a subsection of PhilPapers: Philosophy of Mind is an invaluable catalogue of papers on the philosophy of consciousness available online (many of them free), meticulously organized into more than seventy categories. A huge number of important recently published papers are available, and it is also a place for scholars to stay on the cutting edge by finding high-quality unpublished work on their research topics.

A detailed overview of philosophical work on consciousness, this long survey essay is much more than an introduction to the anthology in which it appears. A detailed bibliography and guide to further reading is also included.

A comprehensive, up-to-date survey and extremely useful as a source of further reading advice. The Stanford Encyclopedia also features further entries on more specific topics in the philosophy of consciousness, including most of those discussed in this entry.

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